


the best way to put together me (will you and i make a breakthrough)

by Evening_Winds



Series: factories [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Emotional Constipation, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pre-Canon, but it's actually, featuring all of my favorite things:, no idea what everyone's canon ages are though but i made a TIMELINE for this fic, there's also like. plot. not just fluff. even tho the tags might suggest otherwise lol, they're 18 in present day scenes and 14 in the flashbacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22235209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evening_Winds/pseuds/Evening_Winds
Summary: “Do you think I really have it in me, Lee? Becoming a Gym Leader?”Leon’s reply came right away. “Of course! And I’ll help you with anything if you’re serious about this.”- - -aka how raihan became a gym leader with leon’s supportaka dense teenage idiot’s awkward adventures in Feelings™
Relationships: Dande | Leon & Kibana | Raihan, Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Series: factories [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619587
Comments: 25
Kudos: 241





	the best way to put together me (will you and i make a breakthrough)

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first proper fic ever (and also the first full-length piece of creative writing i’ve ever written in english, only academic writing babeyy). i outlined the whole thing in pretty much one sitting, practically frothing at the mouth, struck by sudden inspiration. i just love swsh so much and these two in particular so i just had to write all the ideas and headcanons that have been floating in my head (e.g. how did the two meet? how does the gym challenge even work?? why is raihan allowed to have non-dragons in his team?????) so i just smushed them all together with some fluffy stuff that has been keeping me awake at night.
> 
> (also how do people write fluffy stuff without combusting in the process? i kept dancing around two scenes in particular bc i was just physically unable to write them without dying repeatedly, so a fic that was supposed to be maybe 4k words tops kept growing and growing bc I ended up adding more and more stuff to procrastinate writing the Cute scenes with a capital C.)
> 
> unbeta’d + english isn’t my first language so there’re probably some mistakes and general clunkiness.
> 
> the title is from one of my favorite songs of all time, Factories by Autoheart.

“Lee, did you know that Hammerlocke’s Gym Leader is stepping down?”

Raihan had come over to Leon’s for a long weekend before going back to Hammerlocke to resume his studies for another semester. It was early fall; the Gym Challenge had just ended, Leon had defended his title in the final match of the Champion Cup once again (and smeared Raihan’s team in the process, for the fourth year in a row), and off-season had officially started. They were lounging in Leon’s fully furnished Champion residence on the seventh floor of the nicest apartment building in Wyndon – it was way too big for only one occupant and way too fancy for Leon’s tastes, but Chairman Rose had insisted he take it, since one of Leon’s sponsors would take care of the rent anyway.

Leon was sitting at one end of the living room couch, a wireless controller in his hands, eyes glued to the television screen and the new game he was playing. Raihan was lying down on the couch, letting his legs tangle over the arm rest and leaning his head on a throw pillow he had propped against Leon’s left thigh.

Leon had gotten the game just earlier that morning, on release day, and Raihan let him play it. They were best friends, after all – just hanging out like this, occupying the same physical space together, breathing the same air, was enough. Of course, Raihan wouldn’t let Leon play the game all weekend, no matter how much Leon wanted to finish it as soon as possible to avoid spoilers online. But for now, he’d indulge Leon and focus on social media instead.

That’s where he had seen the news article. According to the article, the current Hammerlocke Gym Leader, the Steel-type specialist Carissa, was going to switch careers and move to the Alola region with her wife. Of course, Carissa needed to find and train a new Trainer to take over the for her before any of that happened, and she was encouraging Trainers all over Galar to apply for the position. The training period would start in the beginning of the following year and last for almost two years – the new Leader would have first-hand experience of two Gym Challenge seasons before taking over in the off-season.

“Oh, so it’s finally been made public. She’s been planning it for a while now,” Leon said. Of course he would already know. He’s the Champion, after all. “Does it say anything about how to apply?”

“Yeah, there’re instructions in the article.” Honestly, Raihan didn’t really have any plans for the future, even though he was about to begin his last year of compulsory education. He was unsure what he wanted to do with his life – aside from training his Pokémon team and striving for the Champion’s crown, that is. He could probably make enough money by being a Trainer once he graduated, travelling all around Galar, challenging fellow Trainers on the road for cash… Maybe even visiting other regions, but always making sure to get back for the Gym Challenge for another shot at defeating Leon at the Champion Cup. Still, it wasn’t a very safe plan. A lot of things could easily go wrong with that kind of lifestyle.

A Gym Leader, though… Raihan had to admit it had a certain ring to it. “Heh. Maybe I should apply.”

“It’s not a bad career choice. I’d say it’s really good, actually,” Leon said, not taking his eyes off his game. Raihan tilted his head back to look at him.

“I mean, the Gym Challenge season is pretty taxing, according to the Leaders I’ve spoken to, but it only lasts for four months,” Leon continued. “The off-season isn’t nearly as stressful. Plus, Hammerlocke is the last Gym, so the earlier Gyms will weed out most of the challengers. Then again, the ones who make it there are the best of the best… Which would be perfect for you. I know you love tough battles. That’s why you’re my rival.” Leon quickly glanced over at Raihan and smirked before turning his attention back to his game, fingers tapping on the buttons of the controller in a rhythm that was almost mesmerizing.

Raihan could feel his cheeks heating up – no, it had nothing to do with Leon’s words, how he had so casually used “I” and “love” and “you” in the same sentence (albeit not in that order, but who cares), the way he had looked at him, how the gaze had been quick but full of some emotion Raihan had trouble pinpointing, the smirk which made his eyes crinkle in such an adorable way… No, the angle of his head just made blood pack into his head, it didn’t mean anything - -

Raihan’s frantic thoughts were interrupted when Leon continued his speech. “Anyway, you’ll get most of the challengers during the last month of the season. Of course, only about thirty percent of challengers who actually beat the challenge complete it in one season, so there’ll be a steady stream of people coming in, maybe even on the first day if someone has gotten all the other badges in the previous year. Still, you’ll have plenty of time to pursue other interests. Naturally, there’ll still be the exhibition matches, maintaining the Gym, taking care of sponsorship stuff and so on…”

“Sounds like plenty of work to me,” Raihan mumbled, pouting a bit. Then he smiled. “But also fun.”

Leon nodded eagerly. “Yeah. You’ll get to spend a lot of time with your Pokémon, meet lots of interesting people, have exciting matches…” Leon trailed off, focusing on reading the dialogue box that popped on the television screen when an NPC appeared to give him a new list of quests to complete in his game. “In addition, as long as you’re good at your job – which you obviously will be, since you’re an amazing Trainer, Raihan,” – Leon had said that many times before in the past, but it still made Raihan’s heart somersault in his chest every time he heard those words coming from his mouth – “you’ll get to be a Gym Leader for as long as you wish. I mean, look at Opal, for Arceus' sake!”

Raihan laughed. “At this point I wonder if she’ll ever retire or if she’s just gonna live forever.”

His comment made Leon chuckle. Leon’s chuckle made Raihan’s face heat up again, so he returned to his original position and concentrated on the screen of his Rotom Phone.

Leon spoke up again after a moment of silence. “She became Gym Leader when she was our age. Did you know that?”

“You’re really trying to make me the next Opal, huh,” Raihan snapped back, cheeks still burning. “You wanna see me wear clothes as gaudy as her Gym uniform? Forget it.”

“I don’t know, it could be an improvement to your current wardrobe,” Leon remarked with pretend seriousness and thinly veiled amusement in his voice.

“Says the one who wears a _cape_ of all things. And pairs it with a snapback.”

Leon chuckled again. “Now, now, I know you like my look.”

And Raihan did, but he wouldn’t admit that. That would be weird, wouldn’t it? Instead, he made a noncommittal sound and scrolled further down on the news article.

“Not to mention,” Leon continued, going back to his previous point, “Gym Leaders get the chance to participate in the Champion Cup. You wouldn’t need to go through the whole Gym Challenge every year just to face me.”

Raihan waved his hand dismissively. “Tch. The Challenge doesn’t even really live up to its name; it’s not challenging in the least. I could do it in two weeks with my eyes closed.”

“Now you’re just boasting, Rairai.” Raihan could hear the smile in Leon’s voice, especially when he said the rare nickname. It made Raihan burrow his head deeper into his over-sized hoodie to hide the blush that had now definitely stained his cheeks and the tips of his ears for the rest of eternity. Why Leon had this kind of effect on him, he really couldn’t tell. In addition, he really was boasting and they both knew it – some of the gyms were really tough, but it only made the Challenge more exciting and rewarding.

“I’m sure there’ll be a lot of applicants…” Raihan mumbled, staring at the comment section of the article on his phone. “I wonder how I’d manage to set myself apart from everyone else…”

“So, you’re really considering it?” Leon asked, cautious enthusiasm in his voice.

Raihan was silent for a moment. The sounds of the game and the clicking of the controller filled the air around them. “Do you think I really have it in me, Lee? Becoming a Gym Leader?”

Leon’s reply came right away. “Of course! And I’ll help you with anything if you’re serious about this. As to what sets you apart, well… It’s not unheard of for a Gym to change its type when a new Leader steps to the plate, as long as there is no overlap with the other Gyms. I’ve heard talk that Melony’s eldest son, who’s supposed to take over the Circhester Gym at some point, actually specializes in Rock types. So, no more Steel in Hammerlocke – you’d be the Dragon-type Gym Leader, obviously. Change the type of the Gym, maybe shake things up a bit in other ways, too. That’ll catch the attention of the League higher-ups.”

“I mean, yeah, that would be cool and attention-grabbing. But I don’t even have a full Dragon-type team! Sure, I have Flygon and Turtonator and Goodra, but that’s only half of a full team. Plus, League rules dictate that you have at least two spare members.” It was a detail Raihan hadn’t known about before he had read the article – a team of six plus two Pokémon had been listed in the requirements. “There aren’t even that many cool dragons in Galar, I’d have to visit other regions to get my team together…”

“How about Noivern?” Leon suggested.

“Oh, come on, Lee. It doesn’t even _look_ like a dragon.”

“Hydreigon? Or Kommo-o?”

“Nah, never really been a fan.”

“There’s Dragapult. And Haxorus. You can’t deny their coolness.”

“You already have both of those in _your_ team. Everyone would just think I’m lame and copying the Champion,” Raihan almost whined, flailing his arms around.

Leon let out a dry laugh (ugh, why did even that sound so nice to Raihan’s ears?). “I doubt it, but have it your way. Plus, it’s not really that big of a deal.”

“What do you mean?”

Even though Raihan wasn’t looking at Leon, he could perfectly imagine the smug grin he undoubtedly had plastered over his face. He always did when he knew something Raihan didn’t. “League rules don’t dictate that your _entire_ team has to be one type. If that were the case, no one would be able to use dual types.”

“Huh? I guess that makes sense, but…” Raihan emerged from his hoodie to tilt his head back again to look at Leon. “Do you mean that a Leader could use Pokémon that don’t match the type of the Gym?”

“I’ve had to read the rulebook from cover to cover so many times I’ve lost count. One of the duties of the Champion is to assist in League matters, after all. The wording of the rule totally allows it.” Leon fell silent for a while, concentrating on a tricky jumping puzzle in his game. Raihan shifted a bit on the couch so he could see the television and watched as Leon cleared the stage. Leon laughed at the approving round applause Raihan gave him before continuing. “Still, at least half of your team, including the spares, has to be the designated type. In fact, even some of the current Leaders have other types registered in their teams due to this rule, but only to fill the spare requirement. They almost never send them to battles in the Challenge. Gym Battles aren’t Full Battles anyway, so most people don’t even know that Leaders are required to have eight Pokémon to begin with.”

Raihan only hummed in response. That was some interesting insight to the matters going on behind the scenes in the League. Not to mention all this talk about the League and the Gyms, all the tiny tidbits Leon had shared over the course of the conversation – in all honestly, it was really exhilarating. Raihan considered Leon’s words, tapping his Rotom Phone against his chin just to have an outlet for the energy reaching a roaring boil in his chest.

“So…” Raihan began, slowly. “I’d only need one more Dragon, then. Four out of eight.”

“Yeah.”

“You know…” Raihan sat up and turned to face Leon, a sharp-toothed grin on this face. “There _is_ a cool dragon in Galar neither of us has caught yet.”

Leon turned to meet Raihan’s intense gaze with a questioning look in his eyes. His whole face lit up when it dawned to him.

“Duraludon!” they yelled in unison, all smiles, eyes sparkling, both of their hearts full of excitement and hope - -

Their revelry was cut short by a mortifying sound effect coming from the television, the screen flashing with a “Game Over” message.

Leon had forgotten to pause the game.

Raihan couldn’t stop laughing his head off.

\- - -

_Both Raihan and Leon participated in the Gym Challenge for the first time the year they turned fourteen, as was tradition. With their backpacks packed with their camping gear, Poké Balls, letters of endorsement, extra homework to compensate for the time off from school and other necessities, they both set off to their first big adventure from their respective hometowns late that spring and saw each other for the first time at the opening ceremony in Motostoke._

_The Challengers were watching from the sidelines as Chairman Rose introduced the Gym Leaders. That’s when Raihan noticed a boy with wild purple hair standing near the entrance to the arena. He had never seen the other boy before – must’ve been from some other part of Galar, then. His stance was tense, back straight and fists balled up – nervousness? – but from the way he kept looking around the Stadium with the cautious smile on his face gradually widening, gaze quickly darting from the Gym Leaders to the cheering crowd to Chairman Rose and back to the crowd again, Raihan could tell that the mystery boy was beyond excited._

_Their eyes met only for a moment that day, but Raihan immediately felt drawn to him._

_Once the opening ceremony had ended, Raihan loitered around the Gym’s entrance for a while, waiting until the very last Gym Challenger had left. No sight of the mystery boy. Raihan sighed. He must’ve been one of the first to leave the Gym, then. Maybe he’d run into him on the road later._

_. . ._

_They did meet again, this time more properly, on the road to the first Gym. Raihan caught a glimpse of the familiar purple hair down the road – it had to be him, there was no way anyone else had hair quite like that. As he walked closer, he noticed that the mystery boy was in the tall grass, engaged in a battle with a wild Rookidee. Raihan made his way to the edge of the patch of tall grass just as the other boy threw his first Poké Ball. The Ball shook only once before it sat still on the ground. Impressive._

_Raihan watched as the boy walked over to the Poké Ball and picked it up from the ground. The boy then turned to talk to his partner Pokémon, which was - -_

_“Oh my Arceus! You have a Charmander?!”_

_Raihan’s yell startled the mystery boy so much he almost dropped the Poké Ball he had picked up. Ah, crap. He hadn’t meant to yell out like that, let alone scare the boy. What a great first impression… But a Charmander? Raihan had never seen a real one before, only pictures._

_“Uh, yeah,” the other boy stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. “Do you like Fire types too?”_

_“Yeah, they’re pretty great. But Dragon types are way cooler! And Charmander will be a Charizard once it fully evolves, right? Too bad it becomes Fire/Flying and not Fire/Dragon, though… It would’ve been extra cool then.”_

_The other boy laughed at that. A beautiful sound. He tucked away the Poké Ball with the Rookidee in it in his backpack and picked up the Charmander in his arms. “You’d assume that it’d be Dragon type, right? The evolutionary line definitely has a lot of dragon-like qualities. Pokémon are really fascinating, aren’t they?” The boy walked up to Raihan – up close, he could see that the boy was a tad shorter than him and had the most stunning eyes he had ever seen, the bright golden color a stark contrast to his skin and hair. Raihan forced himself to look at the Charmander in the boy’s arms instead._

_“You can’t find Charmander here in Galar. Where’d you get this little fella?”_

_“He got it from my grandmother.”_

_Now it was Raihan’s turn to be startled. He turned around and saw that the speaker was a girl with carefully styled ginger hair. She was about as tall as Raihan, standing there with her arms crossed over her stylish jacket. Raihan recognized the brand – it was pretty high-end. And, Raihan surmised, objectively speaking, she was very pretty, too. Raihan felt his heart sink in his chest for some reason._

_Oh, so he has - -_

_“Ah! That’s Sonia. We’re doing the Gym Challenge together,” the mystery boy said. Sonia gave Raihan a curt nod. “We’ve been friends since we were little. Her grandmother is Professor Magnolia, actually. She got this Charmander for my birthday from the Pokémon Professor in Kanto. Or, more accurately, the egg. He hatched just in time for the Gym Challenge. You’re a Gym Challenger too, right?”_

_Raihan turned back to look at the mystery boy and his Charmander. The boy was looking at him intently. Raihan nodded. The boy smiled. Raihan’s heart was suddenly in his mouth._

_“Oh! Right. I’m Leon, by the way,” the boy said, offering his hand to Raihan – a bit awkwardly, given that he was still holding his Charmander._

_“…Raihan,” said Raihan, gingerly shaking the mystery boy’s – Leon’s – hand._

_Raihan heard Sonia huff behind him. “Now quit dilly-dallying in the tall grass and come help me set up camp, Lee! You’ve had enough fun for now, I’m not gonna let you just laze around. We need to get the tent pitched before it gets too dark,” she said before stomping back to the campsite she apparently had chosen for them. “And I’m hungry!” she yelled over her shoulder._

_“Yeah, coming!” Leon rolled his eyes a little but smiled all the while. Such a beautiful smile - -_

_“A-anyway, it was nice meeting you. You and Sonia, I mean. And Charmander,” Raihan stammered. “I guess I should…”_

_“You’re not leaving yet, are you?” Leon interrupted. “You should join us! I can make pretty good curry if I do say so myself. We can have a Pokémon battle later! Do you like battling? I can show you what my Charmander can do!” Leon’s eyes were sparkling with excitement._

_“I… Uh… Sure,” Raihan replied. “I’d like that.”_

_“Awesome!” Leon’s smile was even more beautiful than before. Why were Raihan’s eyes constantly drawn to it? “My tent should be big enough for the three of us, so no need to set up yours for the night. We should go help Sonia, though. Could you get started with the cookfire?”_

_The three chatted while getting their camp set up. Raihan gathered some firewood while Leon helped Sonia with the tent. Then they all collected rocks to put around the cookfire before Leon ordered his Charmander to start the fire with Ember. Sonia’s crankiness and apparent hostility melted at the promise of food; she was a nice person, after all. She laid out some blankets around the fire, babbling happily about what he and Leon had done that day while Raihan rummaged his backpack for curry ingredients for Leon to use. Once the curry was finished, they all let their Pokémon out of their Poké Balls to enjoy some curry with them. And it really was pretty good curry, Raihan had to admit._

_After their meal Leon and Raihan had a one-on-one Pokémon battle. Sonia watched from the sidelines and acted as the referee. Raihan took his Rotom Phone from his pocket before the match began and instructed it to take lots of photos. It was a close match, but Leon and his Charmander emerged victorious in the end. He was a very skilled trainer and a tough opponent. Raihan told him as much after they sat around the campfire again, the light of the setting sun making Leon’s eyes look like molten gold._

_Leon’s smile was bashful and Raihan could’ve sworn he was even blushing a bit. “Thanks. You were really great, too.”_

_At the very least,_ Raihan _was definitely blushing now._

_They went their separate ways the next morning. Leon and Sonia continued their journey to Turffield whereas Raihan decided to take a Flying Taxi to the Wild Area to train more, maybe even catch a new Pokémon or two. Raihan had felt unusually restless all morning – he figured it’d be the best way to clear his head._

_As the trio bid their goodbyes, Raihan and Leon promised to meet up again for another battle. And a plate of curry afterwards, of course._

\- - -

The next morning, Raihan and Leon traveled to Route 10, the habitat of Duraludon. They were sometimes sighted wandering in the Wild Area, too, but Route 10 was closer to Wyndon, so that’s where they headed. Of course, Raihan hadn’t been expecting an escapade to the colder parts of Galar when he had packed for his trip to Wyndon. He had had to borrow some outerwear from Leon.

He did his best not to think about it too much.

They spent their day walking from one end of the Route to the another, hoping to see even a glimpse of the elusive Pokémon they were trying to find. Raihan led the way with Leon following right in his footsteps. The sky overhead was overcast, the clouds darkening as the day went on. After hours and hours of searching and fending off overly friendly wild Snoms with no sight of Duraludon, they decided to set up camp and try again the next day.

They got their tent set up just as it started to hail. Perfect camping weather, Raihan thought sarcastically, burrowing his hands deep into his pockets and shivering. He would’ve rather gone back to Wyndon, but Leon had somehow convinced him to stay. Maybe it was nostalgia; perhaps Leon missed his Gym Challenge days and sleeping under the stars even in the harshest of climates. He didn’t really have a lot of opportunities to go on adventures now that he was the Champion, after all. Maybe they should do things like this together more often?

A hailstone hit Raihan straight on the forehead. Next time they went camping, it’d be someplace warmer, he decided before following Leon inside the tent.

“How are you holding up?” Leon asked. He was digging through his backpack for dinner ingredients. “Are the clothes you borrowed warm enough?”

“Yeah. Not a perfect fit, but they get the job done,” Raihan replied and begun to set up a small cookfire inside their tent.

“Figures. You’ve always been super tall. Plus, I think you’ve grown a lot this year.” Leon found a cooking pot and handed it to Raihan.

“Have I?” Raihan muttered absentmindedly, avoiding Leon’s eyes. He was supposed to ignore the fact that he was wearing Leon’s clothes. Something about it made him… _feel_ things.

They made and had dinner together, huddled close around the cookfire to keep the cold at bay. Raihan stared at the dancing flames, lost in thought. All of this truly reminded him of the Gym Challenge – it had a sense of adventure to it. It brought a smile to his face. If only things could stay just like this, Leon’s presence by his side constant, comfortable and familiar…

Both of them jumped at the sudden sound coming from outside – it must have been a Pokémon’s cry, but - -

Could it be?

Raihan hastily clambered out of the tent, flinching at the sudden gust of wind and torrent of ice pellets on his face. He looked around frantically, trying to locate the source of the cry. Leon got outside too and handed Raihan’s bag to him. Raihan found Flygon’s Poké Ball by touch alone, his eyes never stopping their search for the wild Pokémon. It had to be nearby; he was sure of it…

Just then, an imposing figure emerged from the darkness surrounding their campsite. Its movements were slow and clunky, but they had a certain grace to them. Raihan could hear the hailstones clinking against its metal body. He inhaled sharply.

Duraludon.

Raihan didn’t waste any more time. He ran towards the wild Pokémon, sent out Flygon and commenced the battle.

“I’ll distract it!” Leon had followed right behind him and sent out his Charizard.

“Just don’t attack too much, Flygon’s moves are going to weaken it in no time.”

“Gotcha.”

Leon was surprisingly adept at playing the supporting role, especially considering the moves his Charizard knew, but drawing Duraludon’s attention away and using Smoke Screen were more than enough. It helped Raihan remain calm and concentrate on the task at hand.

It didn’t take very long for Raihan to notice that the wild Pokémon’s moves started to grow more and more sluggish; a tell-tale sign that it had been weakened enough to attempt capturing it. He shouted to Leon, “Call Charizard back! I’m gonna try to catch it!”

“Hurry! The hail is buffeting it, too. I don’t think it’ll last much longer,” Leon shouted back and did as Raihan asked him to.

A fair point. Flygon was getting tired, too, and Raihan didn’t enjoy the weather any more than his Pokémon did. With Leon’s Charizard withdrawn from the match, the wild Duraludon shifted its attention fully to Flygon. Raihan readied his first Poké Ball.

The Duraludon broke free after the ball had shaken twice.

It broke free from the second ball as well.

Raihan could feel tension and panic welling inside him. What if he couldn’t catch it? His breathing grew more labored. Running into just this one Duraludon was a strike of unbelievable luck – would he ever get a second chance? He was petrified, unable to move a muscle as the world seemed to whirl around him at an increasing speed.

What if he did get another chance later and blew it, too?

Leon’s voice drew him back to reality. “Raihan! Are you alright?”

Raihan shook his head to clear his mind. Now was not the time for this. Snap out of it! He reached into his bag for another Poké Ball and fished out…

An Ultra Ball?

It was part of a set he always had on him; Leon had gotten it for him on his previous birthday, and Raihan had been saving them for just the right moment. If this wasn’t the right moment, then what was? He drew a deep breath, concentrated and threw the Ultra Ball at the Duraludon.

The ball shook once, twice, three times before it finally shut with a distinct click.

The stunned silence that followed was broken only by the howling of the wind and the pattering of hail against the ground.

Raihan took a step, then another, slowly making his way to the Ultra Ball with bated breath. He gingerly picked it up, feeling its weight and warmth in his palm.

“I… I caught it.” Raihan turned back to look at Leon. “I caught it! I caught Duraludon!” He ran back to his friend, overwhelmed by relief, holding the Ultra Ball up high. He ran straight into Leon’s arms, smiling so hard his cold-numbed cheeks started to hurt. Leon accepted his embrace eagerly, laughing along, squeezing Raihan tight.

Oh, this _definitely_ made him feel things.

Raihan released Duraludon from the Ultra Ball at their camp, making sure the tent blocked most of the hail and wind. “Hi there. I’m Raihan. Let’s be friends, alright?” he said before busying himself with treating Duraludon with potions and other remedies, chatting all the while with the newest addition to his team, building up a foundation for mutual trust and friendship.

He could feel Leon’s eyes on him the entire time. He wanted to stick his entire head in a bank of snow just so his cheeks would cease burning.

Leon fell asleep quickly that night. Raihan listened to his calm breathing and replayed the match against Duraludon in his head over and over again. The support from Leon and Charizard had been vital, but the effects of the weather had almost nullified their combined efforts. It had been an extremely close call.

In retrospect, it was one of the most exciting battles he had ever had.

Still, Raihan couldn’t wait to get back to Wyndon and out of the cold. He missed summer already…

He checked the time on his Rotom Phone for the umpteenth time since he had settled in his sleeping bag. Almost midnight. Even though the brightness of the screen burned his eyes, he stared at it for a while longer. The familiar photo he had set as his lock screen all those years ago, the yearning for the warmth of summer, the nostalgic feelings radiating from this old tent and having Leon so close to him at all times – all those thoughts made his mind drift back to his Gym Challenge days…

\- - -

_Their second meeting came later than either of them anticipated. Raihan was walking towards the cave located in outskirts of Hulbury, admiring his newest badge. He kept turning it in hands so that it caught the rays of the mid-day sun in different angles, snapping tons of photos. He’d choose the best ones to post on social media later._

_Just as he was contemplating which filter he wanted to use this time, he noticed Leon walking off the beaten path, going towards the beach instead of the cave. Raihan grinned at the sight of his friend – they_ were _friends at this point, right? …right? – and ran after him. “Oi, Leon!”_

_Leon turned around at the sound of his voice and as soon as he saw Raihan, a smile bloomed on his face. He shielded his eyes from the blaring sun with his left hand and waved with the right. “Hi, Raihan! Long time no see!”_

_Raihan caught up with Leon and easily fell into step with him as the both of them continued walking in the direction Leon had been going. “Sup? Where’s Sonia?” Raihan asked._

_“Oh, we ran into another Challenger earlier. Nessa. She’s from Hulbury and wanted to show us around once we got there. So, Sonia decided to stay behind and go sight-seeing with her once we all had cleared the Gym.” Leon showed Raihan the badge he had gotten from Hulbury, and Raihan also presented his own with a grin._

_“You didn’t wanna go sight-seeing, then?” asked Raihan._

_“Nah, I decided to go on ahead. Let the girls have fun by themselves. I had no reason to tag along.”_

_Whatever did Leon mean by that? “I just… I was surprised to see you by yourself,” Raihan remarked. “I thought you two were… you know… dating.” Raihan hated the way his voice faltered._

_Leon laughed. “Nah, nothing like that. Besides, I think…” He trailed off. “Ah, it’s nothing. But yeah, we’re super close, have always been, but it’s one hundred percent platonic.”_

_“Oh. It was stupid of me to assume. Sorry.”_

_“It’s alright. No harm done.”_

_As they kept walking over the rocky terrain, they chatted about what they had been up to since they last met (Leon’s Charmander had evolved into a Charmeleon recently), the mission at Hulbury Gym and the Pokémon and strategies they had used in the Battle against the Leader. Once they reached the beach, Raihan stopped. It had taken them longer to get there than he had anticipated. “Where were you planning on going, anyway? We’re supposed to go through the caves next and head back to Motostoke.”_

_Raihan turned to face Leon just in time to see his reddening face before it was hidden by the cap Leon lowered to his face. “I guess I got a bit lost…”_

_“Oh,” Raihan said, confused. Did he really? You could literally see the cave as soon as you left the town. He looked around. “Well, wanna train a bit while we’re here? This seems like a great place for a battle or two.”_

_“Sure.” Leon emerged from behind his cap, in control of his expression again, and set his hat back on his head. “What about we do a Double Battle this time? I’ve always wanted to try it.”_

_They found a suitable battle spot on the beach and stood facing each other behind the lines they drew in the sand. The harsh sunlight gleamed on the surfaces of their Poké Balls as they both sent out two Pokémon. Giving orders to two Pokémon at the same time and reacting to attacks coming from the two opposing Pokémon was tougher than Raihan had expected. The intense heat of the sun didn’t make it any easier; the hot sand under his sneakers and the sweat dripping into his eyes were more distracting than he cared to admit. Soon enough both boys and their Pokémon were exhausted and worn out by the heat. Even Raihan’s Rotom Phone couldn’t take the blaring sun and abandoned its photo-snapping duties to dive back into Raihan’s pocket halfway through the match. The only one who seemed to be enjoying themselves was Leon’s Charmeleon, who was also almost solely responsible for the utter defeat of Raihan’s team. Fire types really enjoy extreme heat, huh._

_Raihan wiped the sweat from his face with the hem of his tank top and smoothed his hair back. “I think that’s enough for now,” he yelled to Leon, who nodded as he returned his Pokémon to their balls. Raihan did the same. “We should rest up. The cave is a ways away, and I don’t really feel like hiking there in this heat.”_

_After making their way to the shade provided by the cliffs overlooking the ocean and tending to their Pokémon, they shared some berries, canned food and bread for post-battle dinner. Both of them were too exhausted to build a cookfire._

_“I guess we’ll have to battle again another time,” Leon said, spreading Pecha berry slices on his piece of bread. “Since we couldn’t have curry together this time, like we promised.”_

_“You actually remembered,” Raihan mumbled around a mouthful of bread and canned mushrooms._

_Leon was all smiles. “Of course I did.”_

_They spent the day at the beach, even venturing for a swim in the ocean from time to time. The water was still cold at that time of year, but it didn’t matter – they were having the time of their lives, spraying water on each other, racing along the beach with their Pokémon in tow, chasing down a flock of wild Wingulls that tried to snatch their food, drawing pictures of their rooms in the sand and talking about their school lives back home, sitting down next to each other on the hot sand to watch two Wailords trumpeting in the horizon and trying their best to mimic their cries._

_After a day full of laughter, they pitched their tent a fair distance away from the coastline, on a patch of flat and rockless ground by the cliffs. They turned in for the night relatively early since they wanted to continue their journey early in the morning to avoid the scorching sun. But as both boys had trouble falling asleep, they chatted late into the night, jokes and silly anecdotes peppering their discussion._

_“I’m actually really bad with directions,” Leon confessed out of the blue. “Even if I have a map, or even the GPS on Rotom Phone, I always manage to get lost somehow. So I was worried when Sonia wasn’t with me on this leg of the journey. Still, somehow, I managed to assure her that I’d be just fine and that she shouldn’t worry about me and just spend time with her new friend and have fun… And then I immediately got lost.” The bark of laughter that escaped Leon’s mouth had a hint of self-pity in it. Raihan decided he never wanted Leon to speak of himself in that tone of voice ever again._

_After a moment of silence, Leon continued, “I’m glad you bumped into me… Thank you.”_

_Raihan’s heart skipped a beat. He felt his cheeks heating up. Why was he suddenly so flustered? “W-well, why are you so bad with directions, then?” The delivery of his question was terse, borderline rude, but Leon didn’t seem to notice or care._

_Leon was silent for a moment, but then he told Raihan about the deep forest near his house, the thick fog that always seemed to hold the woods in its mysterious embrace, and the day when his ten-year-old self had wandered right in._

_“That day, over dinner, my mom told me that I was gonna have a little brother,” Leon began hesitantly. “I didn’t know how to react to it. I was so confused. Probably cried a bit. I don’t really remember much of what happened after dinner and why I thought it would be a good idea to go to the forest. Maybe I wasn’t thinking at all. My parents had always told me not to go there – there was something incredibly unnerving about that forest. Strange tales were told in town; it was said that if you went there, you’d never make it back.”_

_Raihan had sat up, hugging his legs close to his chest, staring at Leon in disbelief. “What happened? In the forest?” he whispered._

_Leon’s eyes were looking far away. “I… remember the wooden gate blocking the path. It was locked, so I clambered over it. Then… I started walking along the path to the woods. There were so many Pokémon in the tall grass. I could hear their cries coming from the fog, but never saw any.” He paused for a moment. Raihan carefully inched closer. “I went deeper and deeper… It was dim and spooky and I was disoriented, but I kept going. And then, suddenly, everything around me went quiet. That’s when I stopped and realized where I was and what I had done.”_

_“Did you have any Pokémon with you?” Raihan asked, shivering._

_“None. I was all alone, surrounded by fog, more afraid than I had ever been, and then I saw… something, standing in the fog. A dark figure taller than me. I could feel its imposing aura. It felt… somehow older than time itself. Ancient. Dangerous. It scared the living daylights out of me. So I ran as fast as I could. I didn’t care where I was headed, as long as I got away from that presence. I was so terrified, Raihan. Branches scratched my face and arms and clothes as I ran with no sense of direction and the entire forest was still so eerily silent…”_

_Leon trailed off again. Raihan was sitting right next to him now, close enough to see that his hands were trembling._

_“I was found the next morning, next to the locked gate. Somehow, I had made my way back there. Or maybe someone – something – brought me there. And I guess ever since then…”_

_A heavy silence fell between the two boys, huddled next to each other in the tent in the dim light of the slowly setting sun, only the rush of the ocean waves audible._

_“I had no idea,” Raihan whispered. “That must’ve been awful. I’m sorry you had to go through something like that.”_

_Leon glanced at him, a small smile of relief on his lips. “Thanks for letting me tell you this. Even Sonia doesn’t know… It really helped, to finally be able to tell someone what happened.”_

_“Anytime.”_

_The silence that fell between them was still tense, but more companionable. Eventually, Raihan broke the silence. “A little brother, huh.”_

_“Yeah. He’s three now.” Leon had also pulled his legs to his chest and rested his chin on his knees. “I miss him terribly, all the time…”_

_Raihan gave him a reassuring smile. “So, he won you over, even though you weren’t sure what to think first.”_

_Leon beamed back at him. “Yeah. I guess I was just jealous, being the only child up until then… But Hop – that’s his name, Hop – he’s a great kid. I’ve made sure he loves Pokémon just as much as I do. I’m sure he’ll participate in the Gym Challenge too, when he’s old enough…” Leon fell silent for a while, obviously deep in thought. He lifted his gaze to the tent’s ceiling before he continued, “Raihan… I wanna become the Champion. I wanna be the Champion for long enough to give my brother a chance to face me in the final match one year.”_

_“Aha, so that’s why your jersey number is one, then?” Raihan asked. Leon nodded but didn’t look at Raihan. Embarrassed? How adorable. “That’s a pretty nice dream,” Raihan admitted. The grin he directed at Leon was warm but sharp. “Too bad_ I’ll _be the one who becomes the next Champion.”_

_Leon smiled at the ceiling. “Is that so.” He turned to look at Raihan with the same wide smile still on his lips. Raihan’s brain short-circuited for some reason. “In that case, in addition to being friends, we’re also rivals,” Leon said._

_Rivals._ Friends.

_Raihan suddenly felt the urge to reach out to hold Leon’s hand._

_He didn’t._

_“…Yeah.”_

_They woke up early the next morning, packed their things and headed to the route to Motostoke. They ran into Sonia and her new friend in the evening, on the bridge leading to the city. Sonia was relieved to see Leon even though he had texted her the previous day and told her about running into Raihan._

_Sonia introduced Raihan to Nessa, and the four of them decided to head to Budew Drop Inn to properly catch up. They gathered in Leon’s room with way too much take-out food for them to eat in one sitting, a deck of playing cards and a lot of stories to tell. Raihan ended up falling asleep on the couch in the room, and Leon tucked him in after the girls had left._

_. . ._

_Before tackling the fourth Gym, Raihan challenged Leon to yet another one-on-one battle. Their little group had reached Stow-on-Side the previous evening, and after a good night’s sleep they were headed back to the Wild Area to train._

_“We’re gonna see who made the better new addition to his team on the road to Stow-on-Side,” Raihan declared once the four of them had crammed into the same Flying Taxi carriage. He had finally found and caught a Trapinch on Route 6. Its final evolution was Flygon, one of his personal favorites. Raihan wanted to train hard in order to ensure that Trapinch grew up to be the strongest Flygon around. Leon, on the other hand, had caught an Axew on the same Route – it was a pretty rare Pokémon to encounter, too. Raihan did his best not to let his envy show._

_“You’re on!” Leon accepted._

_Nessa wanted to try fishing for new additions to her team and Sonia decided to tag along with her. They agreed to meet up with Raihan and Leon later at the spot where the Taxi left them. “Don’t get lost!” Sonia yelled as they parted ways. “I’ll be fine, I have Raihan with me!” Leon replied._

_Raihan and Leon walked around for a bit, engaging in a few wild Pokémon battles to warm up, looking for a suitable place for their battle. Eventually they wound up wandering around Dusty Bowl, deeming a bit of flat ground near a stone archway the perfect spot. A strong breeze rustled in the patches tall grass nearby._

_“Alright,_ rival _, are you ready?” Raihan teased as he released Trapinch from his Poké Ball._

_“I’m always ready,” came Leon’s smug reply. He sent out his Axew and the battle began._

_The sky slowly grew darker and darker as the match went on. Suddenly Raihan noted that the wind was stinging the bare skin of his legs, hands and face like a thousand tiny needles._

_A sandstorm was kicking up, he realized._

_Trapinch didn’t seem to mind, so Raihan continued the battle. Following his orders, Trapinch landed one direct hit after another. Leon’s Axew seemed disoriented by the rising winds and the tiny particles flying in the air. They were steadily wearing her and her trainer out more and more._

_Raihan felt strangely invigorated. The winds were growing stronger._

_“Good job, Trapinch!” Raihan cheered as his Pokémon got another hit in. “Almost got her!” She should’ve fainted! He needed to land only one more attack…_

_Leon barked an order and Axew, mustering all her remaining strength, attacked one last time and landed a critical hit._

_It was just barely enough to make Raihan’s Trapinch faint._

_Raihan stared blankly as Trapinch’s sparkly eyes closed and his little stubby legs gave in under him._

_Leon’s Axew was still being battered by the sandstorm, wobbling, exhausted, barely standing. Leon quickly returned her into the Poké Ball and Raihan, snapping out of whatever state of mind he was in, did the same to his Trapinch._

_That was so close. He could almost taste the victory…_

_But the only thing he could taste now was the sand in his mouth._

_“We should get out of here. Quick. Before the storm gets any worse,” Leon shouted. Raihan only nodded in response._

_Is this what being rivals meant? Having the taste of sand in his mouth?_

_Leon came over to him, trying his best to avoid getting sand in his eyes. Raihan grumbled as he fished his Rotom Phone from his pocket. Leon stepped right in his personal space to shield Raihan’s phone from the sand the best he could. Raihan peered at the map to double-check their location. “We should head that way to reach Giant’s Mirror,” Raihan muttered, pointing in the right direction._

_“Okay. You lead the way.”_

_Before Raihan put his phone back in his pocket, he snapped a quick photo of the sandstorm. Then, without thinking, he caught Leon’s hand in his. It helped soothe his sour mood, somewhat. Rivals or not, they’d be friends first and foremost in Raihan’s mind. “Let’s get out of here, Lee.”_

_Later that day, they reunited with Sonia and Nessa and set up camp for the night near the entrance to Hammerlocke. Raihan was on cooking duty while the others sat a bit further away from the camp; Sonia was helping Leon get the sand off his hair and scalp while Nessa was piling the sand into a small heap, laughing incredulously._

_Raihan looked at the photo he had taken earlier. It was certainly a nice picture, considering the subject matter. But… There was a weird purple smudge on the left side. Raihan’s brow furrowed. Whatever had ruined a perfectly good photo - -_

_Oh._

_It was a strand of Leon’s hair. The strong winds had thrown it into the frame just at the right moment._

_Raihan stared at the photo. Then he stared at Leon, and Sonia’s painted nails digging into his unruly hair, with a strange yearning in his heart._

_In the evening, Raihan posted a new picture on social media. It was a photo of a sandstorm. He had cropped Leon’s hair out of the picture._

_The one he set as his lock screen, however, was the uncropped version._

\- - -

  
…and something just clicked in his head.

Raihan sat up and shook Leon’s shoulder. “I think I got it.”

“Mm?” Leon’s voice was thick with sleep, but he turned around in his sleeping bag to face Raihan.

“The thing that’ll really set me apart from all the other applicants.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” Raihan paused for a moment. “But… I think I’m going to need your help to perfect it. If you’d like to,” he quickly added.

He could just barely see Leon’s wide smile and sparkling golden eyes in the faint light spilling from the remains of their cookfire. “Of course. I’m always willing to help you. You’ll be the best Gym Leader Galar has ever seen, I’m sure of it.” Leon reached for Raihan’s hand, squeezing it lightly before bundling back up in his sleeping bag, only his face and unruly bangs visible. “Let’s talk about it tomorrow, okay?” A yawn. “Good night, Rairai.”

At that moment, gazing upon Leon’s sleepy face in the dim light, feeling his hand upon his own, recalling their Gym Challenge days, Raihan’s heart and brain and entire body were so full of feelings he was too scared to name or even properly acknowledge.

“Yeah.” Raihan’s voice was suddenly raspy, barely a whisper. “Good night, Lee.”

Raihan lay awake late into the small hours of the night, blood rushing in his ears, his thoughts racing, racing, racing, never seeming to reach their ultimate destination.

\- - -

He and Leon spent most of their remaining time together in Wyndon planning Raihan’s team setup around the strategy Raihan had come up with and his existing team. They made countless charts comparing different Pokémon, their Abilities and moves, studying them and debating until they reached a conclusion.

“Perfect,” Raihan breathed, looking over the sheets of paper they had spread all over the floor of Leon’s apartment. He hugged Leon on a whim. “This is it.”

They visited the Move Tutor, consulting their notes as they taught the necessary moves to the Pokémon Raihan already had in his team. The Tutor smiled at Raihan and Leon’s uplifting cheers whenever one of Raihan’s Pokémon got the hang of a new move. Raihan’s Rotom Phone whirled around excitedly all the while, snapping pictures.

The Tutor couldn’t stop smiling even when Goodra finally learned Rain Dance and trenched them all down to their bones.

Once back in Hammerlocke, Raihan spent all his free time from his studies training with his team in the Wild Area. He devoted one evening to tracking down and catching a Silicobra with the Sand Pit Ability on Route 6 and the following night to eye drops and online shopping for Safety Goggles. He kept Leon posted on his process, sending him photos and texts several times a day.

Leon came to visit whenever he could get away from his Champion duties for long enough to travel to Hammerlocke, and they would spend their days Double Battling, with Raihan manipulating the weather conditions to his advantage, until they were both dead tired. Then they would sit down to have dinner and Leon would help Raihan with his homework and exam preparations.

Those days were full of purpose and promise. Raihan had his mind set to a new and clear end goal, and it kept him inspired and motivated. He was so focused on training that he barely let himself have a chance to unwind.

\- - -

Raihan went to visit Leon in Wyndon – for the first time since the weekend when the entire plan was set into motion – two weeks before the application period ended. It wouldn’t be winter proper for another month or two, but the air was already pleasantly cool here up north. Raihan rang the doorbell and soon enough Leon opened the door to his apartment with a smile. “Hi, Raihan. Come in. I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh? Have you written my application for me already? How nice of you,” Raihan joked.

“Nah, but we’ll at the very least get started on it today,” Leon promised as he let Raihan in. “Actually, it’s this.” Leon handed Raihan an Ultra Ball.

“Huh? What…?”

“A Gigalith. With Sand Stream.”

Raihan stared at Leon, then at the Ultra Ball in his hands, then back at Leon again. “No way! How did you get it? Holy Arceus, Lee, this is amazing!” Raihan rushed to hug Leon tightly. “I wasn’t expecting to have it in my team in time for the applications… Thank you!”

“You’re welcome. I had to pull some strings to get my hands on one… I’m glad you like it.”

They had some lunch together before they started working on Raihan’s application. Leon wrote a detailed description of Raihan’s team, consulting Raihan for details and word choices, whereas Raihan fretted over his cover letter and which photo he wanted to attach to it.

By the end of the weekend, Raihan was content with their combined efforts. Still, pressing the “Send” button on his application was nerve-wracking. His finger hovered over the button for a good thirty seconds as his brain went on overdrive with anxiety and self-doubt and what-ifs.

The hand Leon placed on Raihan’s shoulder and his calm voice in Raihan’s ear stilled the vortex in his mind. “Breathe. It’s fine. You got this. I know you do.”

Raihan drew a steadying breath and pressed the button.

\- - -

Over the course of the next few weeks, Raihan went through three rounds of interviews. The people interviewing him, including Leader Carissa herself, seemed impressed by his drive and vision. Of course, his name was reasonably well-known already, given that he had showed his skills as a Trainer by clearing the Gym Challenge and facing the Champion in the final match several years in a row.

Raihan had a good feeling about the whole thing.

After the third interview and promises to get in touch with him soon, everything calmed down for a moment. It was time to play the waiting game. Raihan didn’t rest on his laurels, though; he never stopped training, he kept going and going, battling whenever he had the time, until his strategy was polished to near perfection.

\- - -

It had been almost two weeks since Raihan’s last interview. It was snowing despite Wyndon’s temperate climate – large, puffy flakes falling from the sky, piling on the streets and the rooftops and even on Leon’s shoulders and head while had been waiting for Raihan’s train to arrive. It made Raihan laugh when he saw him.

It was Leon’s turn to laugh when Raihan tried to shake the snow off him with his ungloved hands, resulting in him hissing and swearing at the chill seeping into his fingers.

The snow would melt away soon enough, but at least for a moment, the world looked brand new and beautiful. They didn’t take the quickest route to Leon’s, instead opting on walking along the riverbank and through the gardens surrounding it, taking it all in. Raihan’s eyes would wander to look at Leon more often than the view, though.

Leon prepared some hot cocoa for them once they had arrived at the apartment. Raihan was in the middle of his first sip when his phone started ringing. His eyes grew wide when he looked at the caller ID. “It’s Carissa! From the Gym!”

“Holy Arceus! Answer, answer!” Leon urged.

Raihan got up from the couch, almost spilling his cocoa on the coffee table as he hurried to set the mug down and bring the phone to his ear. “Leader Carissa! How are you?” he answered as he started to pace around the room. He was the type of person who was physically unable to sit still while talking on the phone.

His heart was racing.

He hadn’t had the time to be anxious while waiting for this call for the past couple of weeks, but now all the nervous energy he had put aside hit him full force. This was a crossroads, a tipping point. This phone call was the catalyst with the power to alter the way the rest of his life would play out.

He listened intently, heart swelling more and more after each word he heard and uttered. He could feel Leon closely following his every move with his eyes. Raihan brought a hand to his mouth and turned his back to Leon to hide his grin.

“Yes, of course. Thank you. Goodbye.” He ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket.

“Well?” Leon asked, his voice anxious.

Raihan put on his best miserable expression before turning around. “Lee…” he whimpered. He could see Leon deflating.

Oh, he shouldn’t tease his best friend like this.

“I did it,” Raihan laughed, all pretense melting away.

Leon’s dumbfounded expression made it all worth it. “What?”

“I’m gonna be a Gym Leader!”

Raihan could practically see the gears grinding in Leon’s head as he watched a smile slowly spread on his face. Leon laughed – a bubbly, relieved sound – as he leaped off the couch to squeeze Raihan tightly. “I knew it! I knew you could do it! Congratulations!”

Raihan was laughing too, returning the embrace, spinning Leon around. “Thank you. For all your help.” This was the happiest moment of his life. He wanted to stay like this forever.

But…

He let go of Leon reluctantly. “I have to get back to Hammerlocke to sign some paperwork, though. Finalize this, make everything official. I’m sorry to leave like this, right after I got here…”

“It’s alright,” Leon said as he followed Raihan into the entryway. “I understand.”

Raihan’s head was whirring as he put on his shoes and jacket. This was really happening. The tension and anxiety and stress that had been tightening their grasp of his brain and heart and lungs for weeks were slowly unraveling. Every nerve ending in his body was screaming for him to act, act, act, to reach some kind of catharsis, some sort of release.

The snowfall had stopped – he could fly to Hammerlocke on Flygon and save some time. It wouldn’t be pleasant, and he would be chilled to his very core by the time he got there, but he didn’t have the patience to wait for the next train. Yeah, that’s what he was going to do. He wanted to do something reckless like that.

He opened the door to Leon’s apartment, hands jittering, heart pounding. “I guess I’ll be off, then,” he said.

“Rairai.” Leon’s voice stopped him right in his tracks. “I’m so happy for you. And so proud. You deserve this. More than anyone. You’ve worked so hard.”

Raihan turned around slowly, his hand still on the doorknob, one foot already out of the door.

Leon’s golden eyes looking up at him were so full of joy, his face open. He was standing so very close.

Raihan’s breath got stuck in his throat.

His heart was in turmoil, his brain was in complete disorder, every cell in his body was overflowing with excitement and nervousness and pure ecstasy and Leon was right there, looking right at him, right through him - -

Suddenly, everything was clear to him.

Raihan didn’t think. At least not with his brain.

He leaned down and acted recklessly.

\- - -

Raihan ran down the stairs three steps at a time, his head spinning.

_What…?_

He brought his hand to his mouth, feeling his face heat up.

_What…?_

He yanked the front door of the apartment building open.

_What…?_

He wasn’t completely out of the door yet when he threw Flygon’s Poké Ball into the air.

_What in the world did I just do?!_

His flight back to Hammerlocke was panicked, cold and unpleasant.

\- - -

(Leon was left standing, stunned, by the open door to his apartment, with his fingertips on his lower lip.

His heart had never been this loud before.

He remembered to close the door behind Raihan only after he heard the faint sound of the front door downstairs slamming shut.)

\- - -

A month passed.

Raihan had moved to his new living quarters on the second floor of Hammerlocke Stadium. Once he was a full-fledged Gym Leader, he would have his pick at the vacant suites on the upper floors. Still, even for lower-grade quarters reserved for trainees, the apartment was leagues better than his old rental in the outskirts of the city. As a Gym Challenger he hadn’t realized just how huge the Stadium really was. There was enough room to let his Pokémon out of their Poké Balls indoors. There was no such luxury at his old apartment – he had spent a lot of time in the Wild Area because of that.

Nessa and Sonia had sent him congratulatory texts for his new position. He re-read the messages with a smile on his face. Nessa dreamed of being a Gym Leader too one day and jokingly rebuked him for beating her to the punch. Sonia’s message mentioned that she had already heard the news from Leon. It made Raihan’s mind wander. He looked over at the dressing table where his Pokémon rested inside eight Ultra Balls which he had already attached to the Poké Ball belt he had gotten from Carissa.

He had transferred his entire team into the Ultra Balls Leon had gifted him. The Duraludon he had caught with Leon’s help was in one to begin with, as well as the Gigalith Leon had gotten for him, so it felt fitting. Having a matching set like that pleased his sense of aesthetics. Leon’s gift had been spot-on.

Leon…

Raihan’s thoughts had been running around in circles all month, running around Leon and how bright Leon’s eyes had been and the subtle scent of Leon’s shampoo that he had caught as he had leaned closer and just how much he had had to bend to be eye-level with Leon and the way Leon’s lips had felt against his own and the tiny surprised sound that had escaped Leon’s mouth and all the other things, down to the tiniest detail – all the things that he hadn’t fully registered as they happened and only realized during his panicked flight back to Hammerlocke. All the things that had then proceeded to make themselves at home in his brain, refusing to leave no matter how hard he tried.

Even now, when he was supposed to get ready for the dinner party held in order to officially introduce him, the future Hammerlocke Gym Leader, to the League administrators, the other Gym Leaders and Carissa’s sponsors, he couldn’t get his mind off Leon.

Leon, Leon, Leon…

They hadn’t been in contact much after the incident – as Raihan called it in his mind – but they’d both been very busy. Raihan knew, since he had been keeping a close eye on Leon’s social media accounts. And, Raihan had to be honest with himself, he had been avoiding his best friend. If he had spent even a fraction of the time and energy that he had put into browsing Leon’s profiles actually talking to Leon, he could’ve had dozens of long conversations with him over the course of the month. But he hadn’t. He hadn’t contacted Leon and only replied to his messages in brief, providing one bad excuse after another. He was handling the whole situation horribly and it wasn’t fair towards Leon, he knew it, but still…

He was scared.

He wasn’t sure what he was afraid of more, rejection or reciprocation.

Both options were terrifying in their own ways.

But tonight, he would have to face Leon. He’d be at the party, too, of course, and avoiding him there would be practically impossible.

Raihan sighed, smoothing the lapels of his dark indigo suit jacket. Dragon type’s signature color.

He may be the tamer of dragons, but he couldn’t tame the beast that was pounding hard against his chest, as if looking for a way out to tell the whole world Raihan’s true feelings that he still wasn’t quite ready to admit, even to himself.

One last look in the mirror hanging on the wall of his new apartment. “Guess this is it, then,” he said to his reflection.

He grabbed his Poké Ball belt from the dressing table and put it on as he went out the door.

\- - -

Raihan caught a glimpse of Leon as he arrived in the banquet hall downstairs, scanning the space with his eyes to locate Carissa. Leon was standing with a small group of League officials alongside Chairman Rose, making small talk, cradling in his hand an untouched glass of whatever sparkling beverage the caterers had chosen for the event. Leon had had let his beard grow since Raihan last saw him. It hadn’t grown enough to be styled properly yet which made it look a bit clumsy. Still, Raihan found himself liking the new look; it clearly had a lot of potential. His formal wear looked exceptionally nice, too – the garments were a perfect fit, their colors complimented his hair and skin, not to mention - -

Raihan must have been staring since Leon suddenly locked eyes with him from across the room, the expression on his face unreadable. Raihan quickly looked away and rushed over to Carissa, trying to make the burning of his cheeks cease with pure willpower alone. How in Arceus’ name was he supposed to survive the evening?

Once all the guests had arrived, Carissa led Raihan on the dais set up at one end of the banquet hall. “It’s showtime. Are you ready?” she asked in a hushed voice. Raihan nodded. Carissa gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before they stepped in front of their audience.

Carissa gave a short welcoming speech, thanking everyone for coming and reiterating her plans to step down as the Gym Leader. She gave a brief overview of the history of the Hammerlocke Gym and shared some anecdotes before going over the selection process of the new Leader. “I thank you all for your continued support over the years, and I hope you extend that support to my successor as well,” she concluded. “He has shown incredible promise and I couldn’t be more satisfied with my decision. So, without further ado, may I introduce you to Raihan, the to-be Gym Leader of Hammerlocke.”

Raihan waited for the polite applause to die down before he began his rehearsed speech. The crowd watched intently as he sent out his Pokémon to introduce his team – the confused chattering made him smirk. He wondered whether his expression was similar to Leon’s I-know-something-you-don’t smile. The guests seemed astounded but impressed as Raihan explained his team setup (and how it was perfectly in line with the official rules – he saw a couple Gym Leaders nodding approvingly) as well as his plans to change the typing of the Gym. The crowd was utterly flabbergasted when he revealed the second part of his plan: Double Battles and the manipulation of the weather conditions. This time, the round of applause was more eager and approving.

“And…” Raihan continued, “I’d like to thank my best friend, Champion Leon, for his help. I couldn’t have done any of this without his support.”

Leon was visibly taken aback by Raihan’s words but gained control of his expression in the blink of an eye. He accepted the third round of applause, this time directed at him, in stride and with the unwavering self-confidence he had had to adopt over the past few years for the media. When he glanced at Raihan, the look in his eyes was full of fondness and… relief?

Red-hot guilt pierced Raihan’s heart.

\- - -

The party went on late into the night. Raihan had a couple of awkward encounters with Leon, but as they were always surrounded by other people, Raihan kept the discussion on safe and general topics. It was closing in on midnight when Carissa and Raihan finally escorted their guests outside, making pleasant small talk with the ones who lingered.

Raihan was painfully aware that Leon was one of the ones who lingered.

The crowd dispersed reasonably quickly; no one wanted to stay standing outside in the cold for very long. Carissa excused herself after a while and let Raihan handle the last few guests, goodbyes and well-wishes.

Chairman Rose’s group was the last to leave. The Chairman came to shake hands with Raihan. “I had a great time. Please tell Carissa I said thank you for the lovely party.”

“I will let her know. Thank you, sir.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing how you change things up in this Gym in the future. I actually have some plans myself… But we’ll discuss those later.” Rose’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “So long, then. You coming, Leon?” Rose asked, shifting his gaze to his protege who was standing a few steps behind him.

“I have some catching up to do with Raihan, actually,” Leon replied. Raihan flinched. “You go on ahead. I’ll be fine.”

“I see. Good night then, Leon. Good night, Leader Trainee Raihan.”

“Good night, mister Chairman,” Raihan said, hoping his shot nerves weren’t audible in his voice.

Leon stepped next to him and they watched as Rose and the other League officials accompanying him made their way towards the Flying Taxi stop.

Then it was just the two of them, alone.

This was inevitable, in a way. Raihan knew that he wouldn’t be able to avoid facing Leon forever. Still, he wanted nothing more than to run away. From both Leon and all the things left unsaid between them.

“Well,” Leon said once Rose and his crew were out of earshot. “How does it feel like to be a Gym Leader?”

Raihan scoffed. “I’m not a Leader yet.”

“Yeah, _yet_. But you will be.” Leon had a small, proud smile on his face. It made Raihan’s skin tingle.

“I guess it hasn’t completely sunk in yet,” Raihan replied after taking a second to collect his thoughts. “The training period begins in a couple of weeks, shortly after New Year’s. It’s gonna be taxing, dealing with school at the same time. You know, with A levels and all.” Raihan rubbed the back of his neck and avoided Leon’s eyes the best he could.

“I know you can do it. I believe in you.”

“T-thanks.”

“And even though you have secured a job, you have no reason to not focus in your studies, you hear me?” Leon’s tone was stern. “I haven’t been able to keep up with my mine as much as I’ve wanted due to my Champion duties, so I’m living vicariously through you in this! So you’d better get good marks!”

“Yeah, yeah…”

An awkward silence stretched between the two. Raihan tried to figure out what to say, how to approach the subject he knew he needed to address.

Leon cleared his throat. “I noticed you’ve transferred your team into Ultra Balls.”

“Oh, you did?” Raihan fidgeted with the pointy cufflinks of his suit jacket. He would have to get a new winter coat, one that had sleeves long enough to cover his wrists. Looks like he really had gone through one last growth spurt since last winter… He forced his mind back to the present before it wandered too far into the treacherous topic of height differences and the incident he would forever associate with them. “It’s the set I got from you, actually.”

“I’m glad.”

A beat of silence.

Then Leon spoke again. “You know who else keeps their team in Ultra Balls?”

“Huh?” Raihan turned to Leon just in time to see an insufferable grin bloom on his stupidly handsome face.

“Opal.”

Another beat of silence.

“…Shut up, Lee! Oh my Snom, she’s not the only Leader who does that!”

And just like that, the tension between them was broken, and soon enough both of them were laughing hysterically, eyes watering, stomachs hurting, eventually calming down and gasping for air only to burst into laughter again, right there by the front doors of Hammerlocke Stadium, way too late at night to be making so much noise on the streets.

It felt so nice, so familiar. Like home.

“You know…” Raihan said after they’d calmed down for the second time, wiping tears from his eyes. “It’s late, and it’s a long way to Wyndon. You could stay here for the night. If you want to. I’ve a new apartment in the Castle, it even has a small guest room. I mean, that building is freaking huge, you have no idea - -” Raihan noticed he was rambling and drew a steadying breath. “So… If you want to.” And now he was repeating himself. Great.

The smile Leon directed at Raihan was so dazzling, so genuine. Raihan wasn’t sure his heart could take it, so he quickly turned his gaze away again, to the dim starry sky above. It was easier for his eyes. Not as blinding. Not as dangerous.

“Sure,” Leon breathed into the crispy winter air. “I’d like that.”

\- - -

The panic inside Raihan started to rise when the door to his apartment clicked closed behind his back. This was really happening. Leon was taking off his shoes and asking where he should put them. Raihan tripped over his words, facepalming when Leon wasn’t looking at him anymore. He almost fell apart right then and there when his hand accidentally brushed against Leon’s as he put their coats away in the entryway.

Raihan showed Leon around the apartment; the living room, the kitchen, his bedroom and the guest room, the tiny balcony overlooking the Wild Area. Leon said general pleasantries about everything that was shown to him.

Raihan could feel the awkwardness from before creeping back between them, growing slowly, taking hold.

It was suffocating.

He sat down on the living room couch with a sigh, worrying his lower lip. Leon sat next to him, not too close. It was fine, Raihan tried to convince himself. It didn’t mean anything.

There was no way around it. He had to do this. No matter the outcome.

“Look. Leon. I’m really sorry about… what happened when we last saw each other,” Raihan said, directing his words at his knees. He wasn’t looking at Leon. He just couldn’t. He was sure Leon was looking intently at him, though. “It wasn’t appropriate, I shouldn’t have done such a thing, I have no idea what got into me and I’m so sorry…”

“Raihan…”

Raihan lowered his face into his hands. “…especially since I just _left_ right after, it was so cruel, but I panicked, my brain just shut off and suddenly I realized I was running, you have every right to be mad at me and I totally get it if you never want to see me again…”

“Raihan.”

“…and the way I’ve been acting lately, for the past month, avoiding you, yes, I’ve been avoiding you, making up excuses, it wasn’t fair, none of it was, I’ve been such an awful, horrible friend and I’m so sorry, I’ve been such a mess, you don’t deserve to be treated that way, no one does, and you, Leon, you deserve _so_ much better, after all that you’ve done for me and I repay you like this, I don’t expect you to forgive me, or what I did that day, it’s understandable, I really shouldn’t have - -”

“Rairai.”

Raihan flinched. He lifted his face from his hands and looked up, only to realize that Leon’s face was suddenly extremely close.

When did he - -? How - -?

“It’s okay. Everything’s okay,” Leon whispered as he shifted his weight slightly on Raihan’s lap, his legs straddling Raihan’s. He brought his hand to Raihan’s cheek, barely touching.

It was almost too much to stand.

“And this… This okay too, right?” Leon’s question was hushed, cautious.

Raihan swallowed hard. And nodded.

Leon pressed his hand fully to Raihan’s cheek then, cradling his face, tenderly caressing his heated skin with his thumb, his eyes never leaving Raihan’s.

Raihan’s mind was spiraling out of control.

“We’ve both been incredibly dense, haven’t we?” Leon huffed, closing his eyes and pressing their foreheads together. “For years…”

Raihan suddenly couldn’t breathe.

They stayed like that for a while, in complete stillness, in complete silence.

Raihan’s heart was about to burst in its seams.

Leon opened his eyes, peering at Raihan through his eyelashes, bashful. “Can I kiss you, Rairai?” Raihan could hear a hint of desperation in Leon’s voice. “Please?”

Raihan closed his stinging eyes.

Inhale.

Exhale.

It was unbearable.

“Please do,” Raihan whispered eagerly into the small space between them.

And Leon closed that space, tentatively, and Raihan could feel him smiling against his lips as he kissed him back; he changed the angle of his head ever so slightly, brought one of his hands to Leon’s waist and burrowed the other one into his hair, welcomed the weight of Leon’s other hand on his chest as he placed it there to balance himself; he was getting lost in the sensation of Leon’s mouth finally on his, reveling in every tiny sound Leon made against him, chasing them with his lips and tongue - -

Leon pulled away first, face flushed, breath labored, eyes wide and glimmering. He pressed his forehead to Raihan’s again, and his smile was the most stunning one Raihan had ever seen.

He was so beautiful Raihan wanted to cry.

“I love you, Lee. I’ve been in love with you for so long, and…” There were so many things he wanted to say; how he’d been falling in love with him bit by bit, over the years, so slowly he hadn’t even realized it, deeper and deeper, perpetually confused by the gradual change in his feelings that he hadn’t completely understood, and maybe later had refused to understand, because somewhere deep down he’d been terrified that he would just mess everything up by admitting those feelings to anyone, including himself, that he’d mess up their friendship, their casual closeness with one another, everything - -

But the words got stuck in his throat, in the emotional turmoil in his heart, in the whirlwind of confusion and anguish and regret and relief and joy and utter, utter bliss going around and around in his head.

It must have been visible in his quivering hands, his misty eyes, his entire being. Leon’s eyes on him were patient, his smile understanding, his hand on his cheek warm and grounding even as tears started to spill from Raihan’s eyes, his lips gentle as he kissed them away. “I love you, too.”

They will talk about all of those things. They will figure everything out together.

But later.

And they will fumble, they will fall short on promises, they will hurt and get hurt, they will miss each other so unbearably much, they will do and say the wrong things sometimes – all those things were bound to happen.

But it didn’t matter.

Because for now, they were content just holding each other like this, alone in the night, with Leon on Raihan’s lap, his strong arms wrapped around him, his hands tracing calming circles on his back, with Raihan’s face buried deep into the crook of Leon’s neck and his trembling fingers tangled in the purple locks.

Because the love they had treasured inside them for years, the love they had let grow naturally, the love they had for one another was old and oh, so new at the same time.

Because that love they shared was warm and soft and strong and mutual and made them whole and filled their hearts with song.

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think i guess. peace out
> 
> \+ carissa’s name is based on the bluebeard variant _caryopteris x clandonensis ‘sterling silver’_ which has gray-ish foliage
> 
> \+ raihan’s 8th team member is his starter (i’m not sure which one he would choose, tho. sobble? it’s a lizard after all. and goodra knowing rain dance would make more sense then). leon suggested applin (just so he could catch it for raihan (he had figured his own feelings out long before raihan but didn’t act on them for the same reasons raihan had trouble acknowledging his own feelings)). but raihan, being the dense idiot he is, shot the idea down bc he already had the four dragons he needed, plus applin has so many weaknesses, so there was no real need to go out of their way to add one to his team. leon cried himself to sleep that night
> 
> \+ snom is basically a god, blessing us mere mortals with its existence, so of course “oh my snom” would be a swear in the pokémon world


End file.
